It is well known that hay or crop residue, such as corn stover or corn stalks that is to be fed to livestock is better for the livestock if it does not have contaminates such as dirt in it.
Biomass to be burned for energy or processed into ethanol is more valuable if it does not contain contaminants such as dirt.
Switch grass to be burned for energy or processed into ethanol is typically cut, windrowed on the ground and then picked up by a baler and baled. Similarly, corn stover, corn stalks and/or MOG (“material other than grain”, including but not limited to corn stalks) of a combine is typically allowed to fall on the ground and is later picked up by a baler and baled. When the MOG is later picked up off of the ground by a baler, contaminants, such as dust and dirt, is picked up with the trash. This is inevitable if the MOG is picked up off of the ground. Such “dirty” MOG, switch grass, hay, etc. causes an increase in the cost of maintenance of balers that bale such dirty material due to wear on moving parts of the baler. Furthermore, a “dirty” bale is worth considerably less than a clean bale for producing energy or ethanol because the equipment (e.g. such as conveyors or grinders) that handles the material later in whatever it is to be used for will also be subject to more considerably more wear if the material has dirt in it.
POET, currently the largest ethanol producer in the world, for example, has stated that to “. . . take more biomass, the harvest equipment is set lower to the ground, picking up extra dirt, rocks, and other debris. This additional material would cause the biomass to be outside of POET's quality standards.”
Accordingly, there is a need for an apparatus that will remove dirt from a crop being picked up off of the ground after the material is picked up but before the material is baled by a baler.
Elements in the figures are illustrated for simplicity and clarity and have not necessarily been drawn to scale. For example, the dimensions and/or relative positioning of some of the elements in the figures may be exaggerated relative to other elements to help to improve understanding of various embodiments of the present invention. Also, common but well-understood elements that are useful or necessary in a commercially feasible embodiment are often not depicted in order to facilitate a less obstructed view of these various embodiments of the present invention. Certain actions and/or steps may be described or depicted in a particular order of occurrence while those skilled in the art will understand that such specificity with respect to sequence is not actually required. The terms and expressions used herein have the ordinary technical meaning as is accorded to such terms and expressions by persons skilled in the technical field as set forth above except where different specific meanings have otherwise been set forth herein.